Letters, Aug. 16: Ball State basketball; media fixations

It was indeed eye opening to read about the Ball State men’s basketball team summer trip, which included a boat cruise, snorkeling, beach volleyball and some basketball.

Quite interesting that coach Whitford considers this a business trip, playing against ragged local squads, with opponents far from what the NCAA will provide. It seemed that the reporting indicated the Cardinals were not challenged and performed rather poorly.

As a taxpayer, I would be interested to know who funded a fun week in the Bahamas for the sports team? As a parent of BSU alumni, I would have been extremely interested in knowing how much of the sports/activity fees support sending teams to the Caribbean to prepare for their season when they were enrolled?

It does beg the questions: Is there a local venue and less expensive method to improve team bonding and practice for the upcoming season? Is this the common practice when using athletics funds?

Media perpetuates cynicism, fear

RICHARD L SHIREY

Muncie

Years past, there was a good understanding on the part of the community that governmental service was undertaken as a personal sacrifice; when politicians made policy recommendations, it was understood that they did so with the greater good of the community.

Today, only a few well-meaning government officials still regularly offer proposals to address our community’s problems. Yet, no matter how worthy or well intentioned an idea is, a presumption of bad intent is often directed at the individual(s) offering the solution.

Now it’s believed every politician must have some ulterior motive or hidden agenda when making policy proposals. No matter who levies the suspicions, the media, other elected officials, or citizens, it results in a community that functions on negative assumptions and fear that brutally limit our community’s ability to address the challenges it faces.

Unfortunately, the media is fixated on the sensational; it highlights disagreements and ignores people coming together for the greater good. The media seems to criticize first, looking for ways to discredit ideas and people. Positive events and efforts for healthy social, economic change are de-emphasized or overlooked.

The media plays a powerful role in steering our community’s psyche. The inclination of reporting negatives perpetuates the public’s cynicism, suspicion, and anger. People have no faith in the possibility of positive change. Accordingly, until media gatekeepers fully understand their responsibility to promote leadership that’s an ally to good government and learn to develop tools to understand and support positive change, progress remains forever frustrated.